Page 68 of Fake Love

People shot.

The panic.

We have to get out of here.

I look back at the girls and they have tears in their eyes, looking at me for some sort of answers.

I don’t have any, so I just tell them what the guy told me.

“Run!”

20

Maddox

After throwing my wet towel in the bin, I go back to my looker, or cubby hole I should say and grab my stuff to head out.

With the game that we just had, where we lost eight to two, I feel like going home and crashing on the couch.

I pull out my phone and I’m about to text Jen back, I hear my name being called out.

Turning, I see Ben at the threshold of his office, waving me over.

Pocketing my phone, I head to his office.

What could he be calling me in for?

For the past month and a half my game has been on point. My bullpen appearances have been coming more regularly and from what our pitching coach has been telling me, I may be in a starting position after our break.

All my weekly drug test have come back clean.

My whole rebrand shit is going off perfectly. The fans love what they are seeing and definitely love me and Jen together. And from what I can see, so does the team.

Maybe I’ve been traded again.

Trade deadline is at the end of July and until then a lot of movement will be happening.

Am I one of them? Is that what Ben wants to talk to me about?

There’s only one way to find out.

I approach his office and knock on the door to announce myself.

“You wanted to talk to me?” I ask, not fully stepping into the room.

“Yeah, come on in. I have some news for you.”

News and getting called into the skipper’s office this time of year is not always great.

“What’s up?” I ask, taking in a seat in the same chair I sat in in April.

Ben leans back in his chair and looks at me straight on. “I was talking to Rossi, and he said that you may be ready to start soon.”

I nod. “Yeah, he told me the same thing, but he said that he had to run it by you.”

Ben nods. “He ran it by me and if you’re ready for it, the first game back from the all-star break can be your first start of the season.”

“The game in Chicago?” I ask, my voice going up a notch or two with excitement.

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